


Not Fast Enough

by Rhoynar



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 13:21:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3730438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhoynar/pseuds/Rhoynar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry Allen thought he could save the world. But a promise got in the way. So what happens when Barry is forced to choose between his promise, and his life?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Fast Enough

“ _I made you a promise, I keep my promises”_

The memory of that conversation rang in Barry’s head. He had time to think, time was in abundance. What he didn’t have, yet, was the ability to change time if he made the wrong decision. Barry could have lived a lifetime in this state, watching the world slowly but surely go on around him. But he had a decision to make, and oh, it was a big decision. Should he save Iris and alert her to the fact that he is The Flash? Or should he let her die? The latter would ensure that he didn’t break his promise, but something told Barry that Joe would not be happy with Barry. Those were his two options, or, there could possibly be a third. Barry thought as he watched his potential downfall slowly fly through the air, spinning, its heat and trail glistening on the air. Barry could choose the third option, he could die, and Iris need ever know he was The Flash. Not exactly the death he had in mind. But fate rarely gives you a good death, and in this world, Barry thought that that was enough. So, instead of thinking Barry acted. And that act, in turn, changed the course of history.

“Cisco it doesn’t even bother me” Barry said “It’s not like I can feel it”

“I know, but it’s a little disconcerting” Cisco retorted “I mean, some bugs are excellent nutrition sources but it’s not like you need to eat them. If I could fashion you a mask that would allow you to breathe and speak properly without the bug intake, it might help”

“Like I said Cisco, eating bugs, least of my problems right now” said Barry, lengthening his strides in an order to avoid the conversation.

“But why? Unless you enjoy the taste of bugs” Barry stopped “Wait, do you?”

Barry made a face “No, but I don’t feel or taste them”

“Ok” said Cisco, sounding exasperated “Fine, eat all the bugs you want, don’t say I never try and help”

Cisco walked into the lab with Barry following closely behind.

“What have we got?” Barry asked as he walked into the room. He wasn’t exactly comfortable around Wells, considering Barry thought he murdered his mother. But that theory had been disproved no matter what Barry believed, he had no proof. So for now, he settled on polite.

“Well, Mr. Allen we have nothing” Stated Wells

“Wait, nothing?” Barry asked, confused

“It appears that crime rates have dropped immensely since The Flash became active, we have had no reports of criminal activity today. It would seem that crime does sleep”

‘ _Well’_ Barry thought _‘I bet you sleep Wells, for the last 15 years, you’ve slept and now you have waken’_ But Barry kept his thoughts to himself, those thoughts were dangerous, especially when he didn’t know who he could and could not trust.

“So, no meta-humans, no normal humans? Nothing?” Barry thought he may have been joking, there has to be some crime in the city, somewhere.

“Well, while illegal activity may be occurring somewhere, the police do not know about it and therefore we do not either. I think it’s safe to say that we can have today off. If we need you Barry, we’ll call.” Said Wells “Go, all of you, take a day, I’ll man the fort”

Cisco and Caitlin seemed relieved, but leaving Wells alone in Star Labs to do whatever he wants didn’t sit right with Barry. But hey, even a superhero needs a day off.

Caitlin grabbed Barry by the arm as she walked through the doorway with Cisco following behind/

“Come on, the day is young, what to you guys want to do?” she asked

“I don’t know” said Cisco when Caitlin looked at him “Go to the movies?”

Caitlin and Cisco looked at Barry “I’ve got nothing planned”

“Great” said Caitlin “Oh, there is a new movie coming out called…” she started. But at that moment Barry’s phone started ringing.

“It’s Iris” Barry said, detaching himself from Caitlin to answer his cell. “Hey Iris, what’s up?”

“Barry I kinda need some help”

“Sure, what with?”

“I just need you to help me with some science jargon for my article I’m writing, it’s about all that Flash stuff that I got”

“Uhh, sure”

“How fast can you get here? I’m at Dad’s”

“Pretty fast”

“Cool, I’ll see you soon”

“See you” Barry hung up “Sorry guys, I shouldn’t be long, Iris just needs help with her article”

“It’s okay” said Cisco “Go”

And with that, Barry left.

For nearly two hours Barry had helped Iris with her article. Trying to offer a reason why or how the Flash got his powers, but she didn’t buy any of the fake reasons he made. Like “Maybe he’s an alien and gets his powers from the sun, maybe he’s a universal guardian, or a king of some underwater palace, or maybe he’s a robot, who knows? Maybe he’s just on some drug”

“No, I think it has something to do with the particle accelerator, that is the day when the impossible became possible. I talked to Eddie and he said that some men saw Tony fall into molten steel on the day the accelerator exploded, and he could turn into metal” She paused “And you got struck by lightning on the same day” She pondered this a moment before gasping “Barry Allen do you have super powers?”

“Yes, it’s hard to be this awesome without them, my powers of awesomeness absorption allow me to just be awesome”

Iris punched him on the arm playfully. “A. I’m not sure if that’s a word and B. You’re not that awesome”

“I am, a little bit”

“Well, I’m all done, thanks for this Barry”

“No problem”

“I’m gonna go home, Eddie should be home soon”

“But your car isn’t out the front”

“Yeah, I walked here” Iris stated as if it was obvious

Barry looked at the clock, it was 5pm already, and a 10 minute drive meant like an hour walk. “I’ll come for a walk with you, I could use the exercise”

“Thanks Barry” she looked relieved.

They had been walking for half an hour when two men loomed out of an alley. Iris shimmied closer to Barry as the two men approached. Both of the two men simultaneously lifted up hand guns, and pointed them at Barry and Iris

“Hands, were I can see them” One of the two said

“Hey, hey” said Barry, trying to calm the men “We don’t want any trouble”

“Too bad” said the other “Because trouble found you”

“Give us your wallets and jewellery and you can leave this street alive” said one of the men.

Barry made a decision. Travelling fast for a normal human, but slow for him he ran at one of the men, his pace was slow enough to be described as Usain Bolt speed. He tackled the man on the right, sending him to the ground, Barry stomped his foot and the man’s wrist. He cried out in pain and was forced to let go of his gun.

And now we are back to where we began, Barry had a choice to make. He heard the gun go off and turned to see his imminent death whistling towards him. He moved, again, not too fast, but fast enough so that the first bullet that was fired would hit his arm, and the second, his torso. Guessing by the trajectory he thought the bullet would rip through his left side. Barry’s left shoulder was still facing the second man, he could move and dodge the bullets or take the bullets head on and take less damage but he would move too fast, and Iris would see. He very well knew that this might not go his way.

_“I made you a promise, I keep my promises”_

He stopped and allowed the bullets to hit him. The pain seared, the side walk was sprayed crimson. He fell, two men ran, a girl screamed, and the world faded into darkness. The only thing that Barry felt or knew, was pain.


End file.
